Smoke producer



Feb, 17, 925. 1,52%,579

A. R. SMITH y ASMOKE PRODUCER Original Filed July 31 1923 Patent Feb.v 17, 1925.

ARTHUR R. SMITH, 0F CLEVELAND, 01H10.

SMOKE PRODUCER.

Original application led July 31, 1923, Serial No. 654,887. Divided and this application led February 4 26, 1924. Serial No. 695,355.

A To all whom t may concer-n.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR R. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Chio, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in Smoke Producers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention pertains to production of smoke and the discharge of smoke and smoke-producing material. It relates particularly to discharge'of smoke or smokeproducing material from heavier-th-an-air craft in sky writing', but it also relates to production of smoke in other places and for other purposes.

It is an object of the invention to provide means. easily controlled by the operator, that efficiently will treat smoke-producin material and discharge it into the atmosp 1ere.

Another object of the invention is to, provide means for employing heat from the propelling-engine of an aircraft to bring smokeproducing material to such temperature as will permit its conveyance to the place of discharge into the atmosphere.

The present application more particularly relates to a form of apparatus in which hot liquid from the engine is used for that urpose, as disclosed by my co-pending app ication Ser. No. 654,887 filed July 31, 1923, of which this application is a division, and to a process that involves employment of hot liquid for heating purposes.

W'hen considered in connection with the description herein, the characteristics of the invention are apparent from the accompanyu u 4 mg drawing, formlng part hereof, wherein an adaptation of the invention to an airplane is disclosed, for purposes of illustration.

Although the disclosures herein exemplify what now is considered to be a preferable embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that it is not the intention to be limited necessarily thereto in interpretation of the claims, as modifications and adapta tions within the limits of the claims can be made without departing from the nature of the invention. j

The figure of the drawing is a side elevation, partly in section, and with parts broken away.

In the drawing, A. designates the fuselage of an airplane of conventional form, B an operators seat therein, C the sustentionplanes, and D the propelling-engine, the parts being shown to some extent diagrammatically and only to the degree necessary for exemplication of the invention.

A casing 4, preferably of cylindrical form,

and having a, removable cover 5, is installed in the fuselage, and in the adaptation shown 1n position between the engine and the operators seat. The casing contains the heatingchamber of the apparatus.

An air-pump 14, actuated in any suitable manner, as by the propelling-engine, forces air through a pipe 15 to a storage-tank 16 having a relief-valve 17 and thence through a pipe 18 to the upper portion of a casing 19 inside of the casing 4. Instead of using an air-pump, the storage-tank may be charged with air at sufficient pressure before the machine leaves the ground, in which event a pressure-reducing valve-17a is located in pipe 18.

The inner casin 19 embraces a chamber in which the smo e-producing material is treated as hereinafter explained, the casing preferably is of cylindrical form, and it is smaller than, and has its side wall separated from, the side wall of the casing 4. The oasing 19 has a removable or liftable cover 20, it is supported 0n the bottom of the casing 4 by legs 2,1, and it has an inverted-cone-shaped bottom 22 positioned somewhat above the bottom of the heating-chamber. The arrangement is such that hot Huid in the outer casing may entirely surround the inner casmg.

A pipe 28 leads from the jackets of the engine-cylinders to the interior of the casing 4, a pipe 29 leads from the bottom of that casing downwardly and thence upwardly to a point aibove the u per sustention-plane and it has a rearward y-deflected terminal portion 30 at its upper end, and a return-pipe` The heating system comprising the pipes 23, 28, and 29, the outer casing 4, and the inner casing 19 is a part of the cooling system of the propelling-engine, in which system there is the usual pump P connected by pipes with the cylinder-jackets and radiator.

When the apparatus is in operation, or is maintained in readiness for operation, the inner casing 19 contains material that evolves smoke when heat or air or both are applied thereto, or that produces smoke effect when discharged into the atmosphere; the inner chamber and the pipe 23, which carries smoke material therefrom to the place of discharge above the sustentionplane, are maintained at all times during operation of the apparatus in a heated condi tion by the circulation of fluid of the enginecooling system; and by means of the airpump or of a precharged storage-tank and the pipes leading therefrom to the inner chamber sufficient air pressure above atmospheric is maintained in that chamber to cause immediate 'discharge of material therefrom through the pipe 23'upon thev opening of a yvalve 24 at or near the discharge end of that pipe. That valve is operable by an arm 25 connected by a member 26 With a hand-lever 27 Within reach of the occupant of the seat B.

White phosphorous has been found in the practice of the invention to be among the substances suitable for use in the apparatus for attainmentJ of the results desired. That substance in the commercial form usually is in sticks or cakes. It melts under water at about 111 degrees F. lVhen discharged into the atmosphere in melted condition, it ignites spontaneously and produces dense smoke. lVhen that substance is used as the smoke-producing material, it preferably is covered with a 'layer of water in the casing 19, as indicated at V, to prevent preignition in that place under the influence of air or heat or both.

The inner casing 19 being charged with a smoke-producing material-say white phosphorous for example-the casing and its contents are heated by the liquid of the engine-cooling system, which surrounds the casing. It has been found in practice that the liquid of that system gives a sufficient temperature to melt white phosphorous.

As the material in easing 19 melts, it is forced upwardly through the pipe 23 by pressure of air maintained in the casing when the valve 24: is open. Air pressure in the inner casing is maintained automatically by relief-valve 17 or by pressure-reducing, valve 17 a at a degree not exceeding that pref determined as suitable; and, assuming that the air-pump constantly operates or that the storagetank remains charged, that pressure is maintained at all times.

The hot fluid of the engine-cooling system maintains the .smoke material at sutlicient temperature for the desired result until it reaches the place of discharge. In the case of white phosphorous, for example, itis kept in melted condition until discharge. It is desirable not only to discharge that substance in melted condition, but alsovat such temperature above the melting point to which it may be brought safely in order to counteract the lovsT temperature ofthe atmosphere at high altitudes, which otherwise might prevent ignition on discharge. The apparatus is capable of bringing the material to that temperature.

When the operator wishes to have streams of smoke formed in the air, he opens valve 24 to the extent necessary to permit emis sion of the required amount of smoke material. In the case of white phosphorous, the material at the temperature it is emitted ignites upon contact with the atmosphere and produces dense smoke. W'hen it is intended to trail the smoke in such manner as to form signs, characters, letters, Words, etc., the airplane is maneuvered to produce the desired forms.

Another substance that may be used. advantageously in the apparatus for production of smoke 1s red phosphorous powder,-

which is placed in the inner chamber and forced by the air therein under pressure to the discharge end of pipe 28, where it ignites and produces dense smoke.

The apparatus also is adapted to the burning of a smoke-producino material in the inner chamber, wherein tie air under pressure furnishes the necessary amount of oxygen for combustion and at the same time by down draft causes passage of produced smoke through the pipe 23 to the point of discharge. If the combustible is one. that is liable to overheat the inner casing, the engine-cooling water surrounding that casing will operate to keep that casing at sate temperature.

An important feature of the invention is the discharge of smoke, or of material that will produce smoke on contact with the atllt) mosphere, into a strata of' air that is not Y disturbed or not liable to be disturbed, by the propeller sustentiowplanes, and other parts of the machine in flight.

One of the ways this may be donc is disclosed by the drawing, wherein the circulating-Water pipe 29 and the smoke-material pipe 23 therein extend upwardly to a point considerably above the upper susteutionplane into atmosphere that is undisturbed by the advancing machine. Smoke yor smoke material thus discharged is less apt to be disturbed than when, as is of common practice, it is discharged at the. tail of the machine or at other places iu the slip steams or in the back wash from the propeller. lt will be seen, therefore, that characters,

madero words, etc., formed by maneuver of a machine equipped withthis apparatus retain their integrity and visibility for a longer period than when smoke or smoke material is discharged into machine-disturbed air.

Although the invention is described herein with particular reference to the production of smoke in sky writing, theapparatus also is adapted to the production of smoke for screening and other purposes. The term smoke material is used hereinafter to indicate either smoke produced in the apparatus or material that produces smoke on discharge from the apparatus into the atmosphere.

Having thus described lny invention, what l claim as new, and desfrc to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A smoke apparatus comprising a receptacle arranged to contain smoke-producing material, means whereby hot liquid is applied to the exterior of said receptacle, and a pipe leading from said receptacle and arranged todischarge smoke material.

2. The combination, with an engine and a cooling system therefor, of a smoke apparatus comprising a receptacle arranged to contain smoke-producing material, means whereby fluid of said cooling system is applied to the exterior ofsaid receptacle, and a pipe leading from said receptacle and arranged to discharge smoke materia-l.

3. A smoke 'apparatus comprising a receptacle arranged to contain smoke-producing material, a casing surrounding said receptacle, means whereby hot liquid is supplied to the interior of said' casing, and a pipe leading from said receptacle and arranged to discharge smoke material.

4. rIhe combination, with an engine and a cooling system therefor, of a smoke apparatus comprising areceptacle arranged to contain smoke-producing material, a casing surrounding said receptacle, means whereby fluid of said cooling system is supplied to the interior of said casing. and a pipe leading-from said receptacle and arranged to discharge smoke material.

5. The combination, with an engine and a cooling system therefor, of a. smoke apparatus comprising a receptacle arranged to contain smoke-producing material, a casing sul'- rounding said receptacleand connected with said cooling system, means whereby duid of said cooling system is caused to circulate through said casing. and a pipe leading from said receptacle and arranged to discharge smoke material.

6. A smoke apparatus comprising a receptacle arranged to contain smoke-producing material, a casing surrounding said receptacle, a pipe extending outwardly from said casing, means whereby hot liquid is supplied to the interior of said casing and pipe, and a smoke-material pipe leading 4from said receptacle through said casingpipe and arranged to discharge into the atmosphere at its outer end.

7. The combination, with an engine and a cooling system therefor, of a smoke' apparatuscomprising a receptacle arranged to contain smoke-producing material, a casing surrounding said receptacle, a pipe extending outwardl from said casing, means whereby fluid7 of said cooling system is caused to iow through said casing and pipe', and a smoke-material pipe leading from said receptacle through said casing-pipe and arranged to discharge into the atmosphere.

8. The combination, with an engine and a cooling system therefor, of a smoke apparatus comprising a closed receptacle arranged to contain smoke-producing material, means whereby Huid pressure above atmospheric is maintained in said recepta-- cle, a casing surrounding said receptacle, means whereby fluid of said coolin system is 'supplied to the interior of sai` casing, and a pi e leading from said receptacle and arr-an ed) to discharge smoke material.

9. lign an aircraft, a receptacle arranged to contain smoke-producing material, a. casing surrounding said receptacle, a ipe extending from said casing outward y from said aircraft., a smoke-material pipe leadng from said receptacle through said casingpipe and arranged to discharge at the outer end of the latter, and means whereby hot l liquid is caused to How through said casing and pipe leading therefrom.

10. The combination, with an en ine and a cooling system therefor, of a smo e apparatus comprising a receptacle arranged to contain smoke-producing material, a casin surrounding said receptacle and connected with said cooling system, a pipe extending outwardly from said casing, a pipe connecting the outer portion of said cas'ng-pipc with said. cooling system, and a smokematerial pipe leading from said receptacle through said casing-pipe and arranged to discharge into the atmosphere. f

11. A smoke apparatus comprising a heatconvecting element, means whereby cooling fluid of an engine is brought into contact with said element, and means whereby smoke material is placed Ain proximity to said element and heated thereby.

12. A smoke apparatus com rising a heat-convecting element, means w ereby hot liquid is conveyed from an engine into contact with said element, and means whereby smoke material is placed in proximity to said element and heated thereby.

1 In a smoke apparatus, a pipe for conveying smoke material, a pi e surrounding said smoke-material pipe, and means whereby hot liquid is moved through said surrounding pipe.

14. The combination, with an engine having a cooling system, of a smoke apparatus comprising a ipe for conveying smoke material, a tubu ar member surroundin said pipe, and means whereby fluid of sai cool- 'ng system is conveyed to said tubular mem- 15. A process of emitting smoke material from a vehicle propelled by an internalcombustion engine that includes the conveying of hot fluid of the cooling system of said engine against the exterior of a container of said material, and discharging smoke material thereby heated into the atmosphere.

16. A process of emitting smoke material from a vehicle propelled by an internal-combustion engine that includes subjection of white phosphorous material to fluid pressure in a container, melting said material by applying hot fluid of the cooling system of said engine to the exterior of said container, and permitting discharge of said melted material into the atmosphere.

17. A process of emitting smoke material from a vehicle pro' elled by an internalcombustion engine t at includes subjection of smoke material to fluid pressure in a container, discharginfg smoke material through a pipe leadin rom said container, and bringing hot uid of the cooling system of said engine into contact with the exterior of said receptacle and pipe.

18. A process of emitting smoke material from a vehicle propelled by an internalcombustion enginel that includes directing hot fluid of the cooling system of said engine into contact with a. heat-convecting element, bringing smoke material into contact with said heat-convecting element, and permitting discharge of said material into the atmosphere.

19. A process of emitting smoke material from a vehicle propelled by an internalcombustion engine that includes directing hot liquid heated by said engine into contact with a heat-convecting element, bringing smoke material into contact with said heat-convecting element, and permitting discharge of said material into the atmosphere.

20. A process of emitting smoke material from a vehicle propelled by an internalcombustion engine that includes the conveying of liquid heated by said engine against the exterior of a container ofY said material, and discharging smoke material thereby heated into the atmosphere.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature.

ARTHUR R. SMITH. 

